Dear Santa, I Can Explain
by faith-09
Summary: Dear Santa, I can explain!I didn’t mean to fall in love with Draco Malfoy! It just sort of happened! You really can’t help who you fall in love with, Even if you just happen to fall in love with the devil himself.
1. Chapter 1 The Day

Dear Santa,

I can explain! I know; I know I've been a bad girl! Give me a chance to explain. I didn't mean to fall in love with Draco Malfoy! It just sort of happened! You really can't help who you fall in love with, it just sort of happens. Even if you just happen to fall in love with the devil himself. It all happened on a cool, crisp day in October a few weeks before Halloween.

Harry, Ron and I were walking down the hall towards Potions in the dungeons. It was our 6th year of school and Ron and I were still prefects, as Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott for Hufflepuff, Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil in Ravenclaw with Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson for Slytheren. Since Harry had put Draco's father in prison, Draco had been quite spite full or, more so than he had been before, about making fun of then. That day was no different.

"So, the weasel, the pot head and the mudblood early for class like always. Most likely because of the mudblood I bet. She has to do everything perfect, and yet she can't even take time to fix her awful frizzy hair, or put on a speck of makeup. No wonder Krum left you. You're despicable."

I was almost at a loss for words, he had insulted me! Usually he only gave the usual attack of "mudblood" or "know it all" but know he was giving a full out attack! This was war! Like I said, I was almost at a loss for words, almost.

"Oh, and because I like to be on time I get criticized by you, please. I bet you really wish that I care what you think, but sadly, I don't. Oh, and by the way, I might not look up to your standards, but it's not like I really care. And by the way, I left Krum, NOT the other way around. So, if you don't mind I would like to get back into class so that I'm not late."

I acted like I didn't care, but I did. I really didn't think that I was that ugly. That's all I could think about during Potions. Does everyone see me that way? Snape kept going on about the anti-Nightmare potion, but I was too deep in thought to really pay attention.

That's more than likely why I failed the pop quiz he gave at the last part of class, oh well, that's not very relevant to my story.

I went back to the Common Room after class that day in a sour mood. Ginny asked what was wrong.

"Ginny, do you think I am that ugly" I had asked her up in the girls dorm.

"Oh, get off it! You are not ugly! Maybe if you straitened your hair and put a touch of blond in it, it would look stunning, and maybe even a little makeup you would be the beauty of the school!" she said with a bright smile.


	2. Chapter 2 Life With a New Dew

I don't know what convinced me to highlight my hair and straiten it. Maybe it was Ginny and her pep talk we had, maybe it was the need for a change, or even it could have been the fact that I wanted to show Malfoy that I could be beautiful if I wanted to that pushed me to do it, but whatever it was I did. With Ginny's help we highlighted my hair with dirty blond highlights and straitened it. The color was not that different, just lighter in certain places and the straitness of it made it look drastically different.

I felt better about my self after that spontaneous night, I felt beautiful. At the time I had convinced my self that it would not change me on the inside, that I would still be know it all Granger, but I knew in the weeks to come that I was wrong. I went to bed with a smile on my face, ready to face the world the next day.

I woke up bright and early, took a warm shower and got dressed in my school uniform. I used a bit of makeup just like Ginny had shown me, and I was ready. I met Harry and Ron in the Common Room, waiting on me to go down to the Great Hall together like they do every day. They were shocked by my get up.

"Wow Hermione, you look great! Not to say you didn't look good before, but now you look smashing!" Ron said with a big smile. Harry smiled and nodded, still shocked.

"Well, it's not really that different. I was just kind of looking for a change, you know." I said a little embarrassed. We heeded down to the Great Hall and started to eat. A few house members came up and told me that I looked great, and it had really raised my self-esteem to get these great compliments! As I ate I pulled my Potions book out and started studying what I had missed when I didn't pay attention as an assignment for failing my test the day before.

The owls came in and delivered the mail like normal, and I got the "Daily Prophets". As of now Voldemort was still in hiding, with the whole ministry and the order after him. 13 of his Death Eaters had been captured and questioned, but none of them had said a word. 7 of them were sentenced to the kiss and the rest went to Azkaban. Dumbledore had made friends with the Giants, the Centars and a few other magical beings that were helping with the light side. 2 authors had been killed arresting the Death Eaters and the war against the dark and light had officially started.

"I herd some commotion over here and I thought I'd come over here and check it out, and apparently my words did have some sway on little Granger's mind hum?"

Was it him that had influenced me to do this? No, I had told myself, I would never be influenced by that despicable creature we call human. I never knew how wrong I was!

"Hermione, tell him off!" Ron yelled at me. I was planing on it, I had just got caught up in my thoughts.

"There's no need to. If he thinks that I will be influenced by him, then I really don't need to talk to him because his stupidity could rub off onto me. I really thought you were smarter than that Malfoy." I was always ready with a defense; I was always on the defense.

"I am not the one who failed the Potions exam now am I?" Malfoy asked as he walked off towards his next class. He was right, he had aced the test and I had failed. Later that day I tried to see if Professor Snape had any extracurricular activities I could do, and he refused saying I "should have paid more attention in class." So I had no way of making up that failed grade in his class.

The day went by in a bluer, and I made sure to pay attention in every class. Finally it came down to our last class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had brought in Tonks to teach the class, so it was a lot of fun, usually. That is until Tonks missed a day and Professor Snape had to take over that day.

"OK, now I will pair you up with someone from a different house and you will work together in the library to find the anti-curse to the Funlimelent curse. Nevel stop talking why I am talking, 20 points from Gryffindor and a detention." Nice, this was going to be a great lesson. He went through all the Gryffindor's until only she was left. "Hermione Grange with..... Draco Malfoy. Head down to the library and I will follow, if you make one peep on the way down there it will points from you house. GO!" he had yelled because everyone was still siting in their chairs. People bolted out the door.

This was going to be an interesting lesson, I could tell. It was just something I could feel in my bones. I was not going to get off lightly with Draco Malfoy around, watching my every move. Yep, I was soon to be right. It turned out to be very eventful.


End file.
